The albums have been graded on the most common grading system used in
Finnish schools. Where 4 is the worst, and 10 is the best. The final score
for the album is most of the times the average for all of the tracks, though it can also change if the reviewer wishes so. The Super Eurobeat Non-Stop albums will be reviewed as full collections, and the individual songs won't be reviewed, unless they are completely new. Though Euromach and JGTC albums for example will have complete song by song reviews.
The grading system simply goes as ie. 4- (3,75), 4 (4), 4+ (4,25) and 4½ (4,5) and the next one again would be 5-. A simple system we have over here in Finland.

Super Eurobeat 196

2.Kate Rush - One Day (Dima Music)
After the examplatory presentation by Dima on 195 he keeps flying
sky high with an another energetic and catchy piece of eurobeat art.
One Day creates a warm feeling and while the song has a bit of a
masculine touch to it, it still ends up sounding different enough from
the upfront macho attacks Š la King Of The World. Vocals manage
to bring in a lot of extra edge and that mainly works due to the nice
key changes and the small bits of pitch changes fit the track perfectly.
There's a slight Disney-esque feel to the track which does create a
family-oriented feel to it, safe and warm.Rating : 9½

3.Y. & Co. Feat. Domino - Monkey Dance '09 (Avex / Y. & Co.
LTD)
When the original Monkey Dance came out I was instantly swept
away by the happy mood and catchy engrish. It does make sense to bring
the track to SEB as well and who else would've been a better vocalist to
redo it than Domino? There are just some twists along the road...
Some of the original tracks upfront energy has been lost with the remade
synths that sound too cold and metallic, they can't really bring that
positive touch to the song anymore. Vocals in the original were wonky
and wrong on so many levels, yet they sounded really fun and good in the
end. Domino sadly can't really bring in the same amount of
silliness and while there's not much to complain about the performance,
it still just doesn't feel as genuine and memorable. A good song that
lost a lot of its edge with this remake.Rating : 7½

4.Veronica - Mamma Mia (Eurogrooves)
If you don't know the original then you've missed out a lot. The amount
of cover versions made from this ABBA classic is just
mindboggling, so why not do it the eurobeat way? Unfortunately
Eurogrooves weren't the first ones to do it, since Beat Tunes
~Energy~ already provided one version... which stunk, but still.
Annerley putting out a good show helps make this cover a
surprisingly efficient version, and it somehow comes off as way more
variable and entertaining than a lot of the past remakes the label has
made. The happy tone of the track helps Annerley sound completely
different from the recent slightly melancholic tunes and it fits her
very well. Nice sounds, nice vocals and a classic song to build it all
upon yields an efficient lil' cover. Rating : 9-

5.Dave Rodgers - Love In The Elevator (A-Beat C)
What's with the sudden m.o.v.e. meets Dave Rodgers in a
club? Love In The Elevator is so refreshingly different and
catchy I was totally not expecting something like it. The song keeps
balancing between really classic eurobeat sounds that are really
efficient and a more mature acoustic rock'mood. The two different sides
of the song at first seem to be clashing a whole lot, but by time they
suddenly click together perfectly. The heavy use of guitars does sound
fairly predictable so the more light and upbeat eurobeat synth stands
out in a good way from the rest of the song. A good improvement from the
previous song by far, but I doubt this track has the balls to make it to
a real eurobeat classic.Rating : 8+

6.Delta Queens - Bye Bye Tokyo (Delta)
I've said it before and I will say it again: Delta Queens never
seem to let you down. Bye Bye Tokyo brings out everything good
about Delta out and to the open. This instantly infectious tune
is everything a good eurobeat song is about. Catchy, energetic and so
irresistible you'll be sure to keep humming to the chorus for days.
Clara shows her usual strong vocal capabilities with the song, the
funky and a bit engrish-y lyrics just fit the track perfectly. I do have
to bow down to Delta yet again and wonder how they manage to
combine this superior title with such memorable presentations time after
time.Rating : 10

7.Jay Lehr - Bright Time (SCP)
After a breathtaking energy faire we are taken to a completely different
setting. Jay Lehr brings in tranquility and beauty with his
newest masterpiece. Bright Time has a really calming touch that
manages to make me feel all relaxed and soothed. The song follows a
midpace tempo without sounding like a ballad, the minor disco-esque
elements add in a nice flavor, without making the song sound too much
like the 70's. It is really enjoyable to notice that SCP has
found a very efficient style that Jay can follow, since it fits
his vocals just perfectly. He could be one of those western male pop
singers with a guitar and love songs that make all the girls swoon. A
really beautiful presentation yet again by Mr. Lehr.Rating : 9½

8.April - Hanami (SCP)
A new name from SCP who follows a very similar path as Ai
Yamamoto with a slightly dreamy athmosphere. Hanami is a song
about the beauty of the spring and it can really deliver the message the
lyrics are about. The song has a feeling like the whole natura would be
awakening from slumber after the long cold winter. The beautiful melody
helps make the song really memorable, the only complaint would be the
pitched vocals that sound simply too thin and wavery to really bring
anything important for the song. This track could have been performed by
a different female surely and it might've been even catchier. Now it
falls somewhere along the rather neutral ground with a good melody and a
nice mood, but lacking vocals.Rating : 8-

9.Futura - Give Me Sunshine (A-Beat C)
The new A-Beat C vocalist is here to fill in the large shoes that
Nuage left behind her. Give Me Sunshine just sounds closer
to the material we could expect to hear from Norma Sheffield and
not Nuage. Futura as a vocalist sounds a bit mouse-like,
as if she was afraid to sing and let her voice really out. The same
effect has often been combined with Norma which is basically why
I keep getting intense feelings of dejŠ vu here. Give Me Sunshine
is a calm presentation with a nice balance of acoustic and electric
elements, but the real flaw is the boring melody. None of the specific
parts of the track really manage to arouse interest which leaves you
wanting some more punchlines and some wow-factor.Rating : 6½

10.Starkly Ice - Stargate (HI-NRG Attack)
There's something awfully wrong with this song here. The whole song
sounds like it was played in a hollow barrel or recorded from a casette
and then converted to the CD. That's also not the only problem, but the
whole song also suffers from lack of oomph. Verses and chorus sound
rather identical and if you cut out the pieces and played them in a
random order, it's hard to really tell what goes where. The only really
memorable and good part about the track is the c-melody that has a
space-like feel that fits the title. Just one of those tracks that gets
forgotten instantly once it ends.Rating : 6

11.Queen 26 - Upside Down (Delta)
With the bubbly and girly Queen 26 tracks it's hard to feel sad
or upset. This song has been packed full of juvenile joy for life, it
sounds so genuinely happy it's irresistible. Occasionally the happier
songs do sound slightly forced and even irritating but that's definitely
not the case with Upside Down. Vocals manage to brew up a cloud
of happy thoughts and when that is combined with a catchy melody the
result is an instant classic. If you want to feel good, then Queen 26
is here to cater that for you, just spin her around and round.Rating : 10

12.Rich Hard - Pirates (A-Beat C)Rich joins the ranks of A-Beat C's male vocalists with a
yarr-esque theme. Pirates sounds faintly similar to the early
productions by Matt Land, it does sound like there has been a lot
of effort put into the song, but it's still not quite the similar
classic debut as Killer Queen was for Matt. The idea of
using Pirates as a theme is nice, but it does feel like they
didn't really take the thought all the way. There's basically nothing
reminding you of the said theme, the lyrics do have some fitting wording
but still... where are the parrots, waves and cannons? I do have to
admit that the song does come off as a relatively nice opener for
Rich, but it definitely isn't packed with enough goods to become a
hit. Rating : 7½

13.Tora - King And Queen (Classic Mix) (SinclaireStyle)
We just recently had a remake of Try Me, Fantasy and now King
And Queen make a comeback as well, it does seem that they are
intending to remake all of the old legends. While this track is a
classic without a doubt, the problem is that it's been replayed way too
much. So I wasn't too thrilled to hear how Sinclaire managed to
redo it, but what do ya know he pulled it off with class. I don't know
where he suddenly pulled all this talent since the remake sounds every
bit as catchy and memorable as the original, but with a much more modern
approach. Sounds are really effective and Roberta's vocals fit
the track just as well as the originals, if not better. A very
refreshing approach from Sinclaire, although I gotta say I have a
hard time liking all the "COME ON!!!11" and similar samples he
has a tendency to include in his tracks.Rating : 9½

14.Giorgia V. - Shot Shot Shot(Go Go's Music)After Race Queen opened up the way to eurobeat stardom for
Giorgia we've been waiting for her Go Cosplay track for a
while, but instead we are treated to a similar theme with Shot Shot
Shot. With a vocalist who is used to performing for masses as a
cosplayer it's just fitting to sing about being the object of the
camera. Shot Shot Shot sounds bubbly and catchy, but like Race
Queen it seems to be missing that final touch that would have made
it an instant hit. Now the vocals sound very similar to Domino
and although the song itself is fun to listen to, it can't exactly
create that similar originality as Domino often does. A good
track, but that just leaves us craving for Go Cosplay!
Rating : 8½

Final Words :
The harsh reality is that after an album with such a strong line-up the
only way is down. Super Eurobeat 196 is in no means a bad album and it
offers quite a few really awesome tracks, but it does fall into the
general level of SEBs. The theme "Vitamin Pop" doesn't exactly seem to
really describe the album in any way, since the styles and moods range
from one end to the other. But it doesn't really matter much in the long
run, can basically consider this just your every day SEB without the
silly title attached to it. Delta were reigning the level of the
album with their two songs, the other great tracks don't either get left
that far behind. A really nice album without any real bad songs in the
mix which is definitely refreshing. An album worth getting acquinted
with. The 3 new vocalists on the album all present rather variable
tracks but can't really compete with the older elites.